Silky, smooth and creamy with a slightly charred and bitter top. This delicious burnt basque cheesecake is easier to master than it looks and once you have that first bite, you'll see why.

What is burnt basque cheesecake?

Burnt Basque Cheesecake is a baked, crustless cheesecake with a signature 'burnt' exterior. It has a similar flavor profile to creme caramel and vanilla cheesecake combined. The texture could be described as in between a traditional baked cheesecake and a flan.

This unique slightly burnt cheesecake originates from a restaurant called La Viña in San Sebastián in Basque region of Spain, that's where it gets its name. Since then it has taken over the world to become one of the most well-loved cheesecakes, I guess there is something so charming about the burnt smoky top paired with a smooth and silky center.

sans Sebastian vanilla burnt basque cheesecake

Ingredients

Cream Cheese: Philadelphia Cream Cheese is the best cheese to use for this recipe, it has a rich "cheesiness" that other cream cheeses don't have and it makes all the difference and tastes so much better. Use blocks of cream cheese rather than a spreadable tub of cream cheese as this will give your cake more structure.
Sugar: Caster sugar is ideal here as the sugar grains are much finer than regular sugar so it dissolves more easily.

Eggs: Make sure your eggs are room temperature as eggs that have been in the fridge can cool down your batter and affect your overall bake time. This makes it more difficult to gauge when your basque burnt cheesecake is ready.
Cornstarch: Cornstarch will help to bind all of your ingredients together and make the filling smooth and silky.

Vanilla Bean Paste: Using actual vanilla bean paste will give you a much better flavor compared to imitation vanilla or vanilla extract. If you don't have any feel free to use vanilla extract instead.
Heavy Cream: Thickened cream or heavy cream works the best here. Make sure the cream you are using can be whipped and that it is NOT low fat otherwise it wont set.

Tips for making the best burnt basque cheesecake

The two most important factors of this simple recipe are the ingredients and the texture. Here are some tips that can ensure you achieve the perfect blend of texture and beautiful creamy flavor.

Using room temperature ingredients

The texture of your burnt basque cheesecake is reliant on the overall bake time. Using room temperature ingredients gives you optimal control over the baking. If you use fridge cold ingredients the batter will be colder and will have to bake for longer making it harder to get the perfect texture.

Cooling the cheesecake completely

Cooling your cheesecake in the fridge completely is just as important as your cooking process. If the cheesecake is left to sit on a wire rack at room temperature, the center of the cake will continue to cook. Placing the cake in the fridge stops the cooking process, which will give the cake that soft and creamy inside that makes it so delicious!

The jiggle

When testing to see if the cheesecake is done, jiggling the cake is a good gauge. The cheesecake should hold its shape and be slightly firm with a good wobble, it should have a custard-like center.

Frequently asked questions

How long does this last?

This cake will last up to 4 days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

Why does this recipe use cornstarch?

I use cornstarch in my recipe over all-purpose flour as it gives the cheesecake that silky smooth texture. Flour can get stodgy and clumpy, whereas cornstarch provides the perfect smooth consistency for your batter.

Why is the top of my cheesecake not charring?

Your oven might not be hot enough! The ideal setting to bake this cake in is top and bottom heat rather than convection. This is to ensure you get more direct heat over the top of the cake, giving you that perfect char that we're looking for.

Why did the top of my cheesecake crack?

If your batter has too many air bubbles this will cause your cake to crack. You can eliminate the number of air bubbles in your batter by:

Using room temperature ingredients: The colder your ingredients are the more lumps will form in your batter as you will need to mix more to get that smooth consistency.
Only mixing by hand and until just combined: The more you mix the more air bubbles form. Only mix until just combined and try to avoid using a hand or stand mixer as this will also create more bubbles.
Tapping the cake tin on countertop before baking: This will release the large air bubbles in the basque cheesecake batter before baking.

Let's Get Cooking

If you liked this recipe make sure to leave me a comment and rating down below, I would love to know how you went. Also don't forget to tag me on Instagram @catherine.desserts so I can see and share your desserts.

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